


Into the ground

by Captain_of_the_sass



Series: Tumblr oneshots [7]
Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Erik is overprotective but for a good reason, Hurt Charles, M/M, misuse of cerebro, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 17:57:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5014438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_of_the_sass/pseuds/Captain_of_the_sass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik has a few choice words for the mansion's resident telepath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into the ground

**Author's Note:**

> for the tumblr prompt "Xmen dofp cherik "you're not useless" :) Please!"  
> I have no idea where this is set, maybe in an AU where the divorce at the end of first class never happened. Anyway, this was a hard one, hope you guys like it
> 
> as always I have no beta so let me know if you find any errors

The first time time Erik had witnessed Charles using cerebro it was with a sense of awe and uncertainty. That expression on Charles’s face, flickering between pain and wonder, was burned into his mind forever. In the weeks that followed Erik had come to despise the infernal contraption.

On one hand-it was vital for locating mutants that needed guidance, needed _help_. On the other, it was _killing_ Charles. He can deny it all he likes but Erik sees the lines of exhaustion on his face, has heard his fair share of the telepath’s overwhelmed screams. And now they’ve gone and installed the damned thing into the mansion so Charles can continue working himself to death. Erik stalks down the hall and comes to a halt at the imposing metal door. Every instinct is screaming for him to crush the thing like a tin can but he knows he can’t, knows that to interrupt Charles in the middle of the session would be _very_ ill-advised. So instead he concentrates and calls out, just like Charles had taught him.

_Charles?_

For a heartbeat there’s nothing, then comes Charles’s worried reply.

_Erik? What’s happened, what’s wrong?_

And Erik’s angry, _so_ angry because of course Charles doesn't understand the problem. He doesn’t see that he’s running himself into the ground and it _hurts_ Erik to watch it. He can’t stand it and for a moment he’s overcome by the desire to _carve_ cerebro from the walls and crumble it to dust. When the door suddenly slides open Erik realizes he’d projected all of that, loud and clear. _Good,_ he thinks savagely, _it’s about time tha_ _t idiot had some sense knocked into him._

Charles raises a brow. “Yes, thank you for that.” he muttered.

“You need to stop this, Charles.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Look at what this machine is doing to you! You’re exhausted all the time, you hardly eat, and don’t think I don’t know about the nightmares. You’re destroying yourself!”

“ _I do what I have to!_ Those kids. So many of them are lost. Alone. They need guidance, Erik! There’s so much pain and so much suffering, and I can _help_ them!”

"At the cost of your own well being? It’s not your job, Charles!”

 _"Then whose job is it?"_ Charles roared _, "_ Who else will help them _?”_ his face is red and his eyes are wild, “I have to do this. If I don’t then I’m useless. What good am I if I don’t save them, if I can’t _protect_ them?”

Erik blinks. Surely Charles can’t think that. Doesn’t he see all the good he’s done? All the lives he’s made better? Erik’s voice is calm and confident when he speaks.

“You’re not useless, Charles. We _will_ help them. Together.” and Charles softens ever so slightly at the words as Erik goes on, “First, you’ll get some rest. I promise you, we’ll find a way to balance things out. But you can’t keep spending days at a time in there. It’s going to tear you apart.”

Charles sighs and reluctantly nods, letting out a huff of laughter.

"When did you get to be the sensible one?”

Erik cracked a smile.

“Around the time you started to become a mindless zombie. When’s the last time you got some sleep?”

“I’m not even going to answer that. Come on, lead the way, I think some shut-eye’s long overdue.”


End file.
